Crispy Medu Vada

Ingredients

Urad dal

1 cup, soaked

Water

as needed for grinding

Salt

1 teaspoon

Green chillies

2, finely chopped

Black pepper

1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds

1 teaspoon

Curry leaves

10, chopped

Oil

for deep frying

Coconut chutney

for serving

Sambar

for serving

Instructions

1. Soak the urad dal in water for at least 3 hours to soften.
2. Drain the water and transfer the urad dal to a blender. Grind it to a smooth batter, adding very little water to achieve a thick consistency.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground urad dal batter with chopped green chillies, black pepper, cumin seeds, chopped curry leaves, and salt. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. To check if the oil is hot enough, drop a small ball of batter into the oil; it should sizzle and rise to the surface.
5. Wet your hands to prevent sticking. Take a portion of the batter and shape it into a ball. Make a hole in the center to form a doughnut shape.
6. Carefully drop the shaped vada into the hot oil, frying in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Use a slotted spoon to remove the vadas from the oil and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
8. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar for dipping.